Paint the roses red
by blueberryspicehead
Summary: A modern day Zutara. Lots modern day issues such as, rape, teen pregnacy, self harm, abuse, and mental illness. But lots of fluffy Zutara romance.
1. chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is one of my first attempts at fanfic so be kind. But I love writing and Atla. And Zutara. I will try to include a lot of Zutara lovey fluff. Enjoy and please review!**

 **~Sarah**

 **KATARA POV**

I met him on the corner of Main Street on a sunny Thursday afternoon. School had just gotten out and instead of taking my usual route home, I stopped at a bookstore to check if any of my orders were in. They weren't, but I didn't head straight home as usual. Instead I walked through the stacks of dusty volumes and shelves of assorted novels. I scanned the titles until I saw one I recognized. I pulled it down from its dusty companions and slid to the floor. I opened the book and let myself be drawn into a world of adventures, heroic sacrifice, true love, and true pain. I was so immersed in it that it took me a moment to register the voice above me. "What?" I said looking up. Aang, aka my best friend was standing above me. "I thought I might find you here" he repeated. I grinned. "Where else would I be?" He scoffed. "Asleep probably." "Fair point." "Com'on, let's go Katara." I sighed and stood up. "First let me go see if I can borrow this again." I said, motioning to the book. We walked to the front desk where the old man, Iroh, sat. He smiled benignly. "Ah. I see you wish to borrow another book." "Is that ok? I know I already have some." He brushed the comment aside. "Anything for the beautiful Miss Katara." I smiled. "Thank you Iroh. I'll see you tomorrow!" He waved and I bounced out the store, excited to get home and escape in my world of books once more. Aang followed me, barely keeping up. "Slow down! Just cause you have longer legs doesn't mean we get to race." I slowed and laughed at him. His slight figure still a little behind. "Com'on Aang! I don't make it a race on- oof!" Someone has collided with my shoulder knocking me off balance. I barely caught myself before falling into some innocent shoppers. The stranger slowed for a moment and I saw his face for a moment. All I caught of him was a dark scar on the right side of him face. Then he continued running, not stopping to apologize. "Hey watch it!" I yelled but he didn't stop. "You ok Katara?", Aang's worried face arriving at my side. Shoulder throbbing, I nodded. "He looked like he was in a hurry." I grumbled, the pain not helping my attitude. "Let's get back." Said Aang. I followed him, thinking mean thoughts about the dude who crashed into me. "Some people." I said under my breath.


	2. chapter 2

**Hello all!! So I might be slow going on these chapters cause I have school but I have soooo many good ideas for this. Make sure you stay tuned! Caio!**

 **-Sarah**

 **KATARA POV**

"Katara is that you?", yelled my older brother, Sokka as the door closed. "Yeah. Me and Aang." I relived the pain on my shoulders and the extra throbbing battle wound as my backpack thumped on the ground. With Aang behind me, we entered the kitchen or, otherwise known as 'Sokka's workplace'. He glanced up from a blueprint he was working on. "Hey Aang. Good to see you buddy." "You too!", chirped the air bender. "Don't you have to be home or something?" I said, a little annoyed with his ever-positive attitude. "And Sokka, is it physically impossible for you to clean up? Ever? I shouldn't have to do it all. Especially when I'm not the one who stays home all day trying to invent crap." "Ahem madam. May I present my latest invention," he said in a grand voice. "You see before you blueprints for the stink boom. It's like a stink bomb but bigger than a bomb, it's a boom!" "You are the master of ideas Sokka." I said as I shook my head. "So don't you go calling my work 'sitting at home all day!' This could sell millions!" "Well until the day when you suddenly become a billionaire, please just pick up your dirty underwear." He rolled his eyes but quickly busied himself with his 'work' again. "Um...yeah. I should probably get back to the air nation manor. I guess...I'll see you later Katara?" "Yeah see you Aang." He saw himself out as I began to tidy up the kitchen. Aang was a good friend but he could really get on my nerves sometimes. He was always so positive and nice and urghhh. It drove me insane. Although I felt a little bad for being annoyed. Aang was part of a religious culture where he lived with monks and never knew his parents. He grew up in the Southern air temple but moved away when it was time for him to attend school. So he lived in a community of teenage air benders in the air nation manor; a place where they could attend school, but still practice their religion. Aang didn't really have a lot of close friends so he mostly hung around me and Sokka. My phone buzzed, snapping me into reality. I quickly used my waterbending to dry off the dishes I'd been washing and pulled out my brick of a phone to check it. It was an email from Iroh saying my order had come in. "Suki's coming over later tonight."said Sokka, without looking up. "Oh ok cool." I thought for a minute. "I think I might go to the bookstore later tonight. Is she making dinner?" "Yep. She's making spicy tofu.", he said happily. Suki, Sokka's girlfriend, came from a well off family and she was one of my best friends. Sokka and I lived on our own and all we had to live off was the earnings from mine and Sokka's meager jobs. I had school and Sokka had ideas for inventions at sat at home, trying to make something happen. So occasionally, Suki would become our mother and make us dinner for when we couldn't afford it. I glanced at the clock clock and groaned. Work started in 10 minutes. I ran upstairs and changed, said a quick goodbye to Sokka and ran out the door to catch the train.

 **SOKKA POV**

I groaned and tossed the unfinished paper in the corner with the rest of my failed ideas. "This is never going to work." I groaned, my palms on my face. "Hey sweetie." I heard as the door closed. "Hey Suki." I mumbled, still upset. "How was your day?" She asked, setting her bags on the counter. "Frustrating." "I can see." She said, nodding to the crumpled papers in the corner. "Got any new ideas?" "Nothing. Expect for a new type of stink bomb." She sighed and laughed. "Sokka, the world doesn't need stink bombs!" "I know ok? I get it. I'm a failure. I can't provide for Katara." "Hey, I didn't mean it like that", her voice soothing me. "Maybe it just needs to be at the time. And suddenly, bamb! A best selling idea will come."

"Yeah well what if that never happens? I never have the talent my father did." "Don't even start Sokka, you're brilliant. But, maybe inventing just wasn't meant for you? Maybe you should start looking at other options?" I looked down at my lists and lists of ideas. Maybe Suki was right. Maybe I should try other things. I wasn't getting anywhere with my dream right now. "You're right. I should try out other things. Thanks Suki. You always know what to say." She smiled. "And that's why I'm your girlfriend."


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3

ok ok I know I'm late with this one don't kill me!! *hides* read and review. I don't have a lot of time to write now that schools started again. Hope you enjoy!

 **KATARA POV**

"Have a nice day!" I waved to the old couple leaving, packages in their hands. My manager, Lin Fang approached me. "Good work today! We seemed to have a busy day for once." "Yeah" I remarked. It is had been an unusually busy day. I worked at a little cafe called the Fire Lily cafe. It was an old, rundown little shop but I loved it. "Anyways, I need you to stay a little later tonight. The kitchen's a mess and it can't be left like that." I nodded. "Ok that should be fine." "Thanks." I sighed. It was going to be a long night. I heard the door open so I straightened up and put on a smile. "Hello, how may I help you?"

 **SOKKA POV**

I held Suki's small body as she lay on my chest, her slow breathing making me drowsy. "Don't let me fall asleep", she mumbled. I sat up on the couch. Suki groaned. "But I don't want to wake upppp.." "You've got to get home." "Do I have to? What if we just run away

instead?" I chuckled. "Where would we go?" "I don't know! Just away." We fell silent for a minute, thinking about the ridiculous idea. Suki's home life was...complicated. Her parents were controlling and overprotective. She usually had to lie about where she was to even see me. I wished I could run away with her and help her escape them. I took her hand. "Com'on" I led her to the front door.

I wrapped her in my arms, enjoying the feeling of her head on my chest. We stayed there for awhile before she lifted her head to look at me, her eyes searching mine. I leaned in and kissed her slowly and softly. "Everything's going to be ok." I reassured her. "You'll be safe." "I know. I'll be ok Sokka." I let go of her. "Don't let them get to you." She smiled. "I won't."

 **ZUKO POV**

Everything was dark. Not because there wasn't any sun. No, the sun just made it darker. It was dark because dark is so easy to feel. Zuko loved the dark. It meant that people left him alone. "Zuko!" Came Uncle Iroh's impatient voice. He pulled the covers off Zuko's face. "Let some light in here! It's like a funeral service." Zuko groaned as his room suddenly flooded with light. The bell sounded from the shop downstairs. "Get up! I have to go see who it is but stop laying in bed." Zuko sat himself up. He loved his uncle but he could be really energetic for someone so old. Zuko just didnt have that energy. But he stood up and pulled on his bathrobe. As he walked downstairs he saw the person Uncle Iroh was talking to. She looked young. Younger than him anyways. Not by much though. "Oh yes! Zuko! Meet Miss Katara." He said as he saw Zuko, gesturing to the girl. She smiled at him. "Just Katara is fine." "Hey" said Zuko tonelessly. "Wait a second," she said slowly. "You're the guy who crashed into me yesterday!" "Oh. Sorry about that. I was in a hurry." "Right. I noticed." She said icly. She turned to Iroh. "Thank you for the books. I'll be stop by here again tomorrow." She glanced back at Zuko. "See ya." "Goodbye!" Iroh called after her. Zuko shook his head. "Some girl…" he thought. "Care for some tea?" asked Uncle. "I would love some", said Zuko, shaking thoughts of the girl out of his head. "So I was planning on going to see Li Na this afternoon. Would you mind being on your own for a couple of hours?" asked Iroh "yeah of course. I've got…stuff to do anyways." he vaugely replied. He'd, up until recently, been travaling abroad. Zuko had just come back to stay with his Uncle for a couple weeks. Iroh smiled kindly. "I heard the cafe down the road is looking for new employees. Why don't you try there?" "Yeah I will. Thank you Uncle."

Later that afternoon Zuko headed out the door and down the sidewalk. He squnited at the paper Uncle had given him intruscting him on what to do. "The Fire Lily cafe" he looked up and saw an old, beaten down red sign bearning the name of the little shop. Shoving the paper in his pocket, he truged towards the cafe.


End file.
